Tag: globalisation

According to the latest rankings released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, China is again our number one trading partner. But it raises the question: Do we have too many eggs in the China basket?

Sure they might see just three hours of sunlight a day during the winter months and need to take out a mortgage in order to purchase a pint of beer at the local pub, but those Scandinavians have it all figured out when it comes to the World Wide Web.

It is generally thought that a soaring Aussie dollar is terrible for exporters. However, as Austrade's Chief Economist Tim Harcourt reveals, there are two sides to every coin.

Frustrated Australian consumers are voting with their mice, with huge numbers choosing to spend their hard-earned cash on overseas retail websites that give them a far more enjoyable shopping experience. Last year, 43 percent of Australia's total online spend went overseas. No wonder brands based in the UK and US dominate the top 10 retail sites visited by Australian shoppers.

Instead, I hope that you (dearest Anthillians) find value in these seven business observations and tips from seven weeks of travel.

Instead, I hope that you (dearest Anthillians) find value in these seven business observations and tips from seven weeks of travel.

This interesting Gapminder visualisation illustrates how far the various nations of the world have come (in terms of prosperity and life expectancy) over the past 200 years. Presented by Swedish professor Hans Rosling (top left inset), it traces the rise of the West (Australia and New Zealand have fared particularly well) and the emergence of China, India and the developing world.

As the world wakes up to the danger and promise of global integration, Australia's business and political leaders have a choice. Will we content ourselves with surviving the storm, or will we use this opportunity to change the game by infusing intelligence into the systems that support our economy and our society?

At a time of global economic uncertainty, the issue of trade and employment is becoming the focus of public debate - particularly with news of large scale redundancies in the media. If this trend continues, there is the risk of increased calls for protectionism here in Australia (as has already occurred in the USA). This is a concern because we all know what has happened in the past when the world has returned to protectionism - mass unemployment, inequality and conflict extending well beyond the trade sphere.

Globalisation is really about direct international investment. Investment will flow to where the innovators are, so innovation must be focused on global impact.

Salespeople acquired a stereotype for foot-in-the-door, sell-your-mother-for-a-dollar moral bankruptcy long before Zig Zigler cartwheeled his way into the public consciousness. But if salespeople appear a hardened bunch it's because they spend their days on the front line. And let's face it, if salespeople fail, no one gets paid. It's about time we cleared society's pedestal of entertainment celebrities, precious artists and fatuous egomaniacs. At long last, it's time to hail the salesperson!